


Concourse C

by yookihyunnieX



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Slice of Life, but you have to love it anyway, cute and fluffy, this is one of those cheesy fics that would literally never happen in real life, with some snark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 11:00:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18603169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yookihyunnieX/pseuds/yookihyunnieX
Summary: Kihyun knew he'd need to wait for his flight after checking in, but he didn't anticipate having to wait an entire night. After talking his way into earning accommodations for the inconvenience, he visits a restaurant in his wing. The waiter he meets is silly and gullible and cute. And Kihyun wants to spend a little more time with his waiter, Changkyun. So, Kihyun asks when his shift ends and lets the night (and the boy) take him for a ride~





	Concourse C

Kihyun had been fully prepared to wait for his flight. He was the antsy kind of person that had to get to the airport at least four hours in advance, just in case there were any issues with parking, the shuttle, getting through security, finding his gate, or really any possible thing that might make him miss his flight. The possibilities were nearly endless.

He was always early for everything, but the wait was worth knowing he'd be there in time, with plenty of time to spare for any mishaps or inconveniences. This time, however, Kihyun's proactive planning and early arrival did nothing to solve his issue. In fact, it made everything worse. 

He had prepared plenty of time to drive through the rain to get to the airport; he even packed a disposable poncho and luggage covers into his car to combat any intrusive drops of the chilling rain. He arrived at the stop for the shuttle just in time to board, limiting any excess wait time in the extended travel parking lot, and was deposited right in front of his airline's check-in area. 

Checking in was an easy process, since he came with his travel itinerary and confirmation number easily accessible. He tapped his information into the console and all was well as he said that, yes, a random seat for no extra charge was just fine. He selected the arrow to access the next screen and there it was: the Red Square of Death. The most feared kind of notification one could receive from airline staff and equipment (pre-flight, at least). His flight had been significantly delayed due to rain that only got worse in the direction of his flight.

Kihyun wasn't one to let his hopes be crushed instantaneously at the first sign of potential bad news, though, so he found his place at the end of the line. There were only two families and a few solo riders ahead of him, which gave him time to inform his mother that he'd made it to the airport. He didn't tell her about the delay just yet; he'd fix that in a moment.

“Can I help who’s next?”

Kihyun smiled up at the man behind the counter and proceeded forward. A pleasant introduction is  _ key _ to success with receiving the customer service you want, and Kihyun knew that all too well. He'd practiced his pleasant voice for situations like these. He'd get a new flight, or at least be offered miles for the inconvenience.

“Hello, how are you doing this afternoon?” Kihyun began with the friendliest voice he could manage, beaming warmly at the worker.

“I’m well, thank you. And you?” The airline staff smiled back at him, indicating to Kihyun that he'd started off strongly.

“I'm just fine, thanks. I have a question for you, sir. I just checked in on the console there and I noticed a delay. It seems quite longer than what I’d hoped, and my mother is expecting me at home. It's been quite a while since I've seen her, and she's been sick. Is there any way you could check for alternate flights so I can still make it to her tonight?”

The way Kihyun had said she'd “been sick” was left for interpretation. She had a small cold the week prior and had already returned to work, and was feeling fine, but  _ he _ didn't need to know that. Kihyun hadn't lied, not  _ really _ .

The staff’s face dropped a little, eyes shimmering with the perfect touch of sympathy Kihyun needed to pull this off.

“I'm really sorry, sir,” Kihyun continued. “I know the weather is beyond your control. It's just been a while since I've been home,” (it had been a month), “and I was hoping you might be able to find a flight with a connection? Maybe avoid the rain?”

The man smiled softly back at him, nodding to reassure Kihyun that he'd give it his best shot. “I'll see what I can do, sonny. Can I have your ID, please?”

Kihyun handed over his license and blinked through the discomfort of being called “sonny” as though he were a small child. He successfully maintained his hopeful smile while the staff began clicking and typing away at the computer. It took longer than expected, waiting for the man, but Kihyun trusted that meant he was exhausting all possible options. Kihyun donned a small smile, every-so-often including little comments about missing his mom and how appreciative she'd be for his help.

“Alright, Mr. Yoo, I have an option for you.”  _ Yes! _ “However, it's not guaranteed.”  _ No… _

Kihyun gave in to just a slight frown, victoriously stopping his eye roll before it began. “What do you mean, sir? What's the option?”

“I have a plane that leaves an hour after your currently scheduled flight. It's through our airline, which would make it an easy switch for you. There would be a connection in Dallas with a 40-minute layover before it'd take you home.”

Those all sounded like excellent things to Kihyun, minus the layover. But 40 minutes wasn’t awful. He readied himself for the “but” he knew was coming.

“But,”  _ Here it comes. _ “there would need to be some rearranging of flight attendants to make it happen and, due to the weight and space restrictions, you'd have to limit your luggage to one personal item.”

_ One personal item? I have a full suitcase, carry-on bag, _ and  _ personal item. _

Kihyun did his best not to raise his voice.

“Are you sure that's all you can do?” he pleaded. “Are there any flights with your partner airlines?”

“I'm sorry, but this is the only other option that could get you home tonight.”

_ Damn. _

Kihyun let part of his stress show through. It might be helpful now.

“Sir, do you have any other options for me? Maybe a voucher so I can sleep comfortably here, or miles to make up for the inconvenience? The ride home would be dangerous,” Probably true. “and I don't know how my mom is doing.” Not true. “Can you please help me?”

The man before him had a sympathetic expression with worried eyes.

“I... _might_ be able to do that. One moment.”

Kihyun gave a small nod and waited patiently.

A few minutes later, he had an upgraded seat for the earliest morning flight, a gifted 200 miles, and a voucher for a full meal as he waited in the terminal. This option guaranteed that he’d be able to travel with all his bags, and not worry about any transfers.

_ “ _ I’ll take it.”

After he checked his bag, he gathered the rest of his belongings, thanking the worker once more for his assistance, and turned to head towards TSA. He settled his bag into one of the bins and pulled out his small zip-lock bag of liquids. He always had travel-size lotion, hand sanitizer, and chapstick, at least. He wasn't going to have dry skin and lips and sit uncomfortably in a terminal and on a plane for multiple hours. The thought was just silly. And who  _ knew _ how many germs were in five square feet of an airport, let alone the whole place.

He toed at the heels of his shoes, pulling them off. Kihyun never tied his shoes when he knew he'd be going to an airport. It was more efficient to take his shoes off and not struggle with his laces. He could double knot them after security, as he always did. 

Once through the metal scanner, Kihyun waited for his bags to get through the x-ray, then took a seat on one of the benches. He took off his extra pair of socks and deposited them in a spare zip-lock. Airports could be a death trap of  _ any _ number of germs, and if he could prevent the spread of infection by doubling up on socks, then he absolutely would. He used his hand sanitizer, too, for good measure.

He pulled his laces tight, adjusted the straps of his backpack and tucked his Gudetama travel pillow under his arm. It was soft, cute,  _ and _ functional. 

The shuttle was easy enough to find, and he was soon on his way to Concourse C. He took his time navigating the C wing upon his arrival. He had plenty of time with his crazy delay.

Upon finding his gate, Kihyun settled his Gudetama travel pillow around his neck, leaving the hood off. He pulled his book from his backpack and got comfortable as he opened up to the sixth chapter of  _ Ulysses _ by James Joyce. He'd almost finished it when his stomach growled. 

He forced himself to reach chapter seven before sliding in his bookmark and putting his book back into his bag, careful not to bend any of the corners. It was time to use his voucher for a free meal, courtesy of the ever-so-kind airport staff.

He wandered down the long hallway of gates, then began scanning the various restaurants and booths of food when he hit the main area. The voucher allowed for any full meal of his choice, so he was going to make it good. 

Kihyun's eyes settled on an Italian restaurant. It looked fancy enough. The host escorted Kihyun, Party of One to a decent sized booth and handed him a menu. Not long after, a waiter approached. 

“Hi, welcome to Chili's!” said the waiter in a high pitched voice.

Confused, Kihyun had barely opened his mouth to respond when his waiter began laughing hysterically.

“Oh man, your face was priceless,” he wheezed. “It's from a Vine.”

Kihyun knew that. Really, he did. But he thought it would be more fun to pretend he didn't.

“A what?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

“A Vine! You know, like 'I spilled lipstick in your Valentino bag.’  _ ‘Lipstick in my Valentino white bag?!” _

Kihyun bit back a laugh as his waiter's voice switched from a low, casual tone to a high-pitched and scratchy manic tone. The poor guy's cheeks flushed. It was pretty cute.

“Uhm, anyway, thanks for coming in,” he said, recovering from his self-inflicted embarrassment. “My name is Changkyun and I'll be your waiter this afternoon.” The boy awkwardly gave a slight bow and turned on his heel to walk away from the table.

“Changkyun!” Kihyun called out. “Don't you want to ask if you can start me off with a drink?”

Changkyun quickly stepped backwards to the table, as if Kihyun had hit a rewind button. He turned on his heels again to face the table.  _ Adorable. _

“Can I start you off with a drink?” he asked with extra charm.

“Yes, I would very much love a Cherry Coke.”

“I would very much love you,” Changkyun replied smoothly. Then, catching what he said, he tried to fix it with, “To serve you. That. To serve you that. I would very much love to serve you that.” It didn't help. He walked quickly away without even seeming to register Kihyun's smile.

_ Oh, _ Kihyun thought,  _ this is going to be fun. _

When Changkyun returned with his drink, he wanted to throw him for a loop. 

"I forgot to ask," Kihyun began with a look of pure curiosity, "do you have flavored ice?"

Changkyun's puzzled expression was priceless. "Flavored ice?"

"Yes," Kihyun nodded. "Most of the popular restaurants in this area provide the option of flavored ice. It adds a hint of taste to the drink."

Changkyun grabbed a menu and began scanning his eyes to find the answer to this question. He was so  _ gullible _ .

"I'll, er, have to check with my manager," the waiter replied, still searching.

Kihyun didn't want to get the manager involved, so he acted quickly and took a sip of his Cherry Coke. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "I guess you  _ do _ have flavored ice. I can taste the vanilla. That's my favorite; excellent choice!"

Changkyun blinked at him, utterly confused. "Y-yeah, no problem. Uh. Do you need a moment to look at the menu?"

Kihyun took another sip from his drink and gave an expression of satisfaction. "This is quite good," he said. "Yes, please." 

He watched as Changkyun wandered off, scratching his head in confusion. Kihyun chuckled at the sight of him, happy to have a little harmless entertainment after his flight exchange. He didn’t want to give the waiter  _ too _ hard of a time, but he thought he might mess with him just a  _ little _ bit more.

When Changkyun returned, and asked, “Are you ready to place your order?” Kihyun smiled up to him sweetly. “Yes. I’d like the chicken parmesan, please.” Changkyun made a scribble on his notepad. 

“Oh,” Kihyun continued, “I’d like it to be gluten free, but still include the wheat. And could I have vegetarian chicken? I don’t like soy, though, so I’d love another alternative.” At this point, he hoped Changkyun realized that his order was total bullshit. The young waiter furrowed his brow and tilted his head, writing a few more scribbles on the notepad. 

“Okay,” Changkyun affirmed, finally smiling up at him. “I know just the thing.” And off he went.

_ Wait, _ Kihyun thought _ , does he think that order is possible? The kitchen staff are going to give him such a hard time.  _ He snickered at the thought of Changkyun relaying this nonsensical order to a chef, without any knowledge that it couldn’t happen. Had he gone too far?  _ No _ , he decided, _ it’s harmless. The worst that could happen is that he get embarrassed, but I’ll tip well. _

As Kihyun braced himself for the return of a baffled Changkyun, he sent a check-in text to his mom, ensuring her he’d be flying out first thing in the morning. After giving her the full synopsis, he began scrolling through some of his pictures he’d taken, editing them to post on instagram. They were nothing professional, just something he did on the side. But he had a decent following.

Just as Kihyun was selecting a modest but captivating caption for his post, a plate was set before him from behind, making him jump.

On the plate?

A single leaf of romaine lettuce. 

“Dinner is served,” Changkyun chimed.

_ So he  _ can _ play back. _ Kihyun grinned.  _ Excellent. _

“Oh, thank you,” Kihyun replied, feigning gratitude. “This is perfect. Might I have some dressing?”

Changkyun made a show of pulling a container of dressing from behind his back. “Why, yes,” he teased. “May I recommend our house Italian?”

Kihyun smiled and reached out his hand to take the dressing. “Lovely,” he said, playing the part.

Changkyun apparently couldn’t hold his laugh any longer and, once he began laughing, Kihyun couldn’t hold his back anymore either.

“Your chicken parmesan is in the works,” Changkyun confessed, laughter fading.

“Gluten and all?” Kihyun asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Meat and everything,” Changkyun confirmed.

“Take a seat, Changkyun.” He was smiling but said it sternly. Changkyun complied. “When does your shift end?” 

“Mmm,” the waiter hummed, putting his wrist before him to look at a watch that...wasn’t actually there.  _ He’s actually pretty funny _ , Kihyun realized. “I’ve got about another hour.”

“Do you have plans afterwards?” Kihyun saw the confused look on Changkyun’s face. “I have to stay here overnight,” he supplied, “and I could use some company. I’m really sweet once you get to know me.”

Changkyun looked at him quizzically for a moment, contemplating. And then, after a beat, “You’ll have to prove that.” He stood to leave. “I’ve got other tables to wait, but I’ll meet you out front when you’re done.”

Kihyun was a bit surprised that actually worked, but he’d been told that he can be pretty convincing. 

When Changkyun returned with his dish, they both smiled at each other. Genuinely this time. No happy “everything is perfect” smile that comes with waiting, and no deceiving grins on Kihyun’s end.

And, wow, this meal was  _ fantastic! _ Even better when Kihyun remembered it was free with the voucher. When he finished, he supplied the voucher to Changkyun, who left without even waiting for a tip. 

Kihyun stood grabbing his belongings, and went to wait in the wing outside the restaurant. He completed the caption for his photos and posted them to Instagram, then scrolled through his phone as he waited for Changkyun to appear. It wasn’t too long before he emerged from a side door in his casual clothes, consisting of a light pink hoodie under a denim jacket. Kihyun himself donned a mint crewneck sweatshirt. He loved pastels.

Remembering the tip situation, Kihyun pulled out his wallet and handed a $20 to Changkyun. “Your tip,” he said, informing Changkyun’s confused eyebrows. He was so  _ expressive _ . “For all my teasing. You left before I could give it to you.”

Changkyun beamed up at him. “Oh, thanks! It usually goes into a collective jar, anyway. This is perfect!”

Kihyun was pleased, but didn’t particularly enjoy expressing his emotions outwardly. Too vulnerable. So, he instead positioned his backpack on his shoulders, just slightly, and nodded. “Great. I’m Kihyun by the way.”

“Nice!” he grinned. “Nice to meet you. So,” he said, shoving the cash into his pocket and crumpling it in the process. Did he not own a  _ wallet? _ “how much time do you have to kill?”

“My flight isn’t until tomorrow morning. I have all the time in the world.”

“Okay, let’s explore! Follow me.” And off he went, down one of the wings. Kihyun quickened his stride to catch up.

“Where are we going?” Kihyun was a man who required a plan.

“You’ll see!” Changkyun exclaimed, and kept on walking.  _ Uhhh. _

“You’re not going to tell me?”

“No,” he said matter-of-factly. “I’m not, ya  _ nosy _ .” Nosy was not something Kihyun had been called before. He didn’t like it.

“I’m not nosy,” he rebutted. “I just want to know what to expect.”

“Sounds nosy to me. You’ll see in a second anyway, just wait.”

Kihyun had never spent long with anyone who had the strong True Chaotic vibes that Changyun was sending in that moment. He liked order and predictability. Control of the situation. But he was intrigued by Changkyun’s determination to keep his mission a secret.

He followed as Changkyun navigated through the wings, entering a different concourse entirely.

“Okay,” Changkyun said, turning to face him, “wait here for a sec.”

Kihyun stood, confused, on the side of the hall as Changkyun ran ahead and spoke with one of the airport employees. He gestured to Kihyun, who offered a small wave and a smile when the worker looked at him. After the two spoke for a moment more, there was a quick exchange between them, then Changkyun waved for Kihyun to follow him. 

They went through a side door with keys Kihyun assumed the other boy had gained from the employee. And, finally, they reached their destination.

“Get in,” Changkyun commanded, climbing aboard a golf cart. 

Kihyun grinned and stepped onto the cart. Asking Changkyun to hang out with him was already proving to be a good idea.

Kihyun had barely sat down when Changkyun stomped on the gas, throwing his body back into the seat. He navigated through the doorway ( _ poorly _ ), and they were off! Changkyun whizzed the cart through the halls, throwing Kihyun around like a rag doll. Kihyun didn’t know these things could gain so much  _ speed _ .

“You’re going to give me whiplash!” he shouted, unable to control his laughter.

Changkyun slammed on the brakes in response; Kihyun just laughed harder.

“Okay, swap me!” Changkyun ran around the cart, allowing Kihyun to slide over. Kihyun did a quick scan over the controls, wanting to ensure he knew the gears and safety functions. Once ready, he looked up to see Changkyun standing beside the cart.

“What are you doing?” Kihyun asked.

“I could ask you the same thing, you weirdo.”  _ So now that he’s not working, he has all this sass suddenly? _ “I’m going to race you. Get a head start, then I’m gonna run after you and hop on.”

Kihyun  _ did _ like a challenge. He pressed the gas as hard as he could, cart surging forward. He looked over his shoulder to see Changkyun with his hands on the ground, mimicking a sprinter at the start of a race, gaze focused and determined. And then he was off! Kihyun had to alternate looking ahead to avoid crashing and behind him to watch Changkyun sprinting after him. 

Changkyun pumped his arms fiercely, lengthening his stride. He came closer and Kihyun swerved, making Changkyun stumble as he ran. Kihyun just laughed and drove on, Changkyun gaining on him. Kihyun looked back right as Changkyun lunged to jump onto the back of the cart. The boy scrambled his arms around the poles to get a grip. 

As the cart moved forward, Changkyun began climbing over the seat.

“Hey!” came the shout of an old lady. An airport employee. “Quit fooling around. You two are in serious trouble!”

Kihyun kept the gas pedal pushed to the ground. Changkyun yelled, “Sorry, ma’am!” over his shoulder as Kihyun turned a corner. Kihyun grinned to himself. This was new. The rush, the rebellion, the carefree attitude. It sent a jolt of life through his body.

Changkyun pointed to different areas, navigating Kihyun through the halls. Once the cart was successfully parked, the two boys had to catch their breath. They had been laughing too hard.

“That,” Kihyun said, regaining his composure, “was fantastic.”

“Was it worth not knowing?”

Kihyun just sighed, pulling out his hand sanitizer for a squirt. “I suppose so.” He grinned smugly.

Changkyun eyeballed the sanitizer quizzically, but didn’t address it.

“Great!” Changkyun replied. “Let’s do something else.”

Their evening was spent enjoying the airport at its fullest potential. Changkyun somehow convinced Kihyun to race him, running against the direction of the walking escalators. Kihyun won.

Changkyun got some free game passes for the mini arcade in Concourse A and kicked Kihyun’s ass in air hockey. 

They found an area with impressive murals done by local artists and Kihyun mentioned that he was into art. After a little prying from Changkyun, Kihyun revealed that he was a photography hobbyist, which prompted a photo shoot of Changkyun in front of the murals. His poses ranged from silly and interacting with the murals, to what he called “edgy” and “artsy”. Kihyun mostly just wanted to capture his smile.

Changkyun was one of the most fun-loving and free-willed humans Kihyun had ever met. Their lifestyles seemed drastically different, but Changkyun’s approach offered a world of excitement--one Kihyun had never explored.

As they wandered into the next area, they came across an ice cream place. 

“Oh!” Everything was exciting to Changkyun. “Do you want ice cream? I have an employee discount.”

Kihyun never said no to ice cream.

“Sure,” he smiled, heading towards the counter. Changkyun covered the price with the crumpled $20 tip in his pocket.

So they sat together, ice cream in hand, grinning like kids.

“This is delicious,” Kihyun declared.

“I  _ know. _ ” He looked truly content, licking away at his chocolate and peanut butter cone.

“Kihyun?” he began again. Kihyun nodded in response, encouraging him to continue. “Why did you ask me to spend time with you?”

Kihyun shrugged, hoping to avoid making it a big deal. “I have to stay here overnight. I thought I’d be bored.”

Changkyun’s skeptical expression, eyebrow raised, told Kihyun that he  _ would _ , in fact, make it a Big Deal.

“Oh, come on,” Changkyun said with exasperation. “You’ve got everything planned out. You have one of those neck pillows strapped to your backpack. You used hand sanitizer earlier. I bet you’ve got headphones and at  _ least _ two books in your bag. You had ways to entertain yourself. So, why ask me?”

Kihyun thought about his hard copy version of  _ Ulysses _ in his backpack, and the e-version of  _ The Complete Poems of Emily Dickenson _ on his phone. He would have enjoyed those too, sure. But not as much as he’d enjoyed his time with Changkyun.

He shrugged again and replied simply, “You seemed fun.” And then, “Why’d you say yes?”

Changkyun clearly hadn’t expected that. He choked a little bit on his ice cream in surprise, then chuckled as a recovery.

“Um.” His laughter was nervous now. “Would it be bad if I said yes because you’re cute?”

Kihyun just laughed. “Oh good. I’m glad that’s my redeeming quality after giving you shit during your shift.”

_ Honestly, though _ , Kihyun thought,  _ that’s part of why I asked  _ you.

Changkyun nervously drank the water he’d grabbed, hand slightly shaking, transforming back to the uneasy waiter from dinner. 

“You’re cute, too.” Kihyun said it before he could think. He took one last bite of his ice cream cone and stood up. “Just so you know.” He walked away quickly to deposit his napkin into the trash can, making him successful in avoiding needing to reply to Changkyun’s stammering.

When he returned, Changkyun sat gazing up at him, mouth wide. “You’re just gonna say that then walk away?”

Kihyun grabbed his backpack from the back of his seat and hoisted it over his shoulder. “Yeah, it was awkward, so I left.”

“You really  _ do _ have to have control over every situation, don’t you? Is it common for you to walk away when you  _ don’t  _ have that control?” His tone of voice was accusatory.

Now Kihyun was beginning to feel a tad uncomfortable. He adjusted the straps on his backpack and shrugged. He sensed that Changkyun didn’t want to be around him anymore. This was the problem he had with people like Changkyun. Why he didn’t usually stick around them for long. His need for control and planning bothered them, and Kihyun didn’t want to restrict that creativity, or to make people question his intentions. 

“I didn’t mean to make you upset,” he replied, squeezing his hand around the straps of his backpack. “Thank you for spending today with me and showing me around the airport. I had a lot of fun.” 

Kihyun turned to head back to Concourse C, leaving Changkyun behind at the table, calling for him.

Kihyun needed to figure out where he was; he was sure he’d gotten pretty far off track. He stood before the directory, locating his current spot and the route he’d need to take. He pulled out his chapstick as he walked and put it on--a bit of a nervous habit. 

_ Why was he offended? I complimented him. He said I was cute, so I said it back. _

Kihyun shook his head, breaking the train of thought. No need to ruin the memories of a fun day because of a silly difference in character. He was still grateful to have experienced the hidden exciting activities of the airport, rather than speed read through his books. 

He continued on into Concourse C and passed the restaurant where he’d eaten dinner. He stopped in his tracks.

He’d only known Changkyun for a few hours, but the guy had convinced Kihyun to step out of his comfort zone, and gotten him to laugh in a way he hadn’t in,  _ gosh _ , how long? Changkyun probably didn’t even mean anything by what he’d said. Kihyun noted his own observations aloud in the same way at times.  _ Projecting, much? _

_ I’m probably just over-thinking it like I always do _ . And then,  _ But here I am, running away,  _ exactly _ like Changkyun guessed. _ And then, again,  _ But after I called him cute and walked away...I came back. _

Kihyun turned to look back to where he came from. The battle in his head continued as he debated how much it really mattered.  _ He’s just a cute guy you spent today with. It’s not that deep. He’ll forget you in a week.  _ And then,  _ But what if  _ I  _ don’t want to forget  _ him _ in a week? _

His began walking again, determined feet carrying him. He followed the wing for a while and eventually rounded the corner of the hallway into the main hub with branching hallways and a shuttle waiting area. Kihyun scanned his eyes through the crowd, searching. There were clusters of families waiting for the shuttle to Ground Transport; a plane must’ve just landed. 

Finally, from across the lobby, he laid eyes on a pink hood drooping over the collar of a denim jacket.  _ Found him _ .

Kihyun heard the sound of a bell announcing that the next shuttle had arrived. Changkyun and the crowd of people began shuffling towards the opening doors.  _ I’m going to lose him _ , Kihyun realized.

He began to run, closing the distance between him and the shuttle doors. He saw Changkyun hop on board.

“Changkyun!” he yelled, hoping his voice pierced through the crowd. There were so many people, Kihyun couldn’t see what was happening on board. “Changkyun!” he shouted again, stopping in front of the shuttle doors. He couldn’t see that pink hoodie anymore.

_ I’ve lost him. I’ve lost my chance. _

Kihyun held on tightly to the straps of his backpack once more and took a deep breath. 

_ Nothing you can do about it now. _

Defeated, he hung his head and turned to walk back to his terminal.

“Kihyun?”

There, Changkyun stood, right in front of him. Kihyun was so confused.

“Wait. I thought you- How did you-?”

“I got pushed by the mob of people to the back door,” he supplied. “But I forced my way through.” 

Changkyun was smiling at him. Tension left his body.

“You came back.” Changkyun sounded relieved.

“I shouldn’t have left," Kihyun confessed.

Kihyun apologized for leaving and acting like a total ass; Changkyun apologized for pushing his buttons.

“I didn’t want it to end like that,” Kihyun confessed.

Changkyun nodded, smiling. “How would you like it to end?”

“Maybe by you giving me your number?” This time, Kihyun allowed himself to sound hopeful. Vulnerable.

“Sure,” Changkyun chuckled and put out his hand, asking for Kihyun’s phone to text himself from it.

Changkyun plugged in his number while Kihyun grinned like an idiot and explained that he lived locally and was only flying out to visit his mother. They made plans to get together upon his return in a few days.

They said goodbye and hugged each other. Changkyun took the initiative to ask Kihyun for a kiss. They smiled awkwardly and were hesitant to lean into it, but they kissed in the middle of the airport’s main hub.

As Kihyun walked away, his phone notified him that he’d received a message.

> _ You better actually come back, Kihyun. _

Kihyun grinned and shook his head as he typed his reply:

> _ Don’t worry! I’ll come back to you _

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to ao3 users @Castillia and @megaotaku98 for being my betas <3
> 
> I've been working on this off and on during various flights and I decided to finally sit down and complete it. I'm glad I did ^^
> 
> Thanks for reading <3


End file.
